Audio visual services: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering audio visual services

Audio visual clients need a room that works on the day, with sound, pictures and lighting tested before guests arrive. Show that you visit or plan the room, test everything in advance, and explain how you handle problems during the event.

What customers ask

  • Will the sound and the screens work on the day?
  • Will you be there during the event?
  • What happens if equipment fails?
  • Can you set up in more than one room?
  • Do you need access to the venue early?
  • Does your insurance cover the venue's equipment and any rigging you do?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask for the room, the event schedule, the number of attendees and the speakers, then say which part of the setup carries the most risk.
  • Ask for the room plan, the power locations and the run sheet, and confirm your access time in writing.
  • Show a sample setup with the room layout and the test steps noted, so the client sees how you plan.
  • Put the rooms, the equipment, the setup and breakdown hours, the on-site hours and the backup plan into the quote, so the client knows what is included.
  • Test the system at the venue before the event, and send the client a short note on what you checked.
  • Agree in writing who is responsible for the venue's power and systems, and what the client must provide.

What to put on your profile

  • Sample event setups with the room type and the equipment noted, shared with permission.
  • Types of events you support, such as conferences, meetings, training, panels or stage events.
  • Your process: site plan, equipment, testing, operation and breakdown.
  • The equipment you bring and the insurance you hold, described accurately.

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a standing setup for a venue or a recurring event series.
  • Suggest a short training session for the client's presenters on using the room's equipment.
  • Offer to review the room's system after the event, with notes on what to improve.

Licenses and permits

Audio visual services are not commonly licensed as a general business, so you usually do not need a license to offer basic setup. Check with your state or local licensing agency for business registration, and confirm when electrical or rigging work requires a licensed electrician or qualified rigger in your area, and keep a written agreement that names the equipment, the hours and the responsibilities.

Questions

How do I show I can run an event without faults?

Share a sample setup with the testing steps noted, and describe how you handle a failure during an event. Clients judge your reliability by how you prepare.

Should I do electrical or rigging work myself?

Only if you are qualified and it is allowed in your area. Work that changes building wiring or overhead rigging usually needs a licensed electrician or qualified rigger, so hire or refer that work.

What insurance should I carry?

Carry insurance that covers the equipment and your work at venues, and show the client the certificate when you book. Confirm with an insurer that the cover matches the work you do.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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